§PlainStatute

Courts · Small Claims

Small Claims Court Limit in Minnesota

The most you can sue for in Minnesota small claims, with the filing-fee range and whether a lawyer is allowed, cited to the statute.

Official statuteRead word-for-word
against Minn. Stat. §491A.01 · revisor.mn.gov
Read from the official source · Jul 11, 2026How we verify →
Our researchMinnesota ranks #1 of 50 in our Consumer Protection Index, an original score read from the statutes.

Have a number in mind? See if your claim fits in the Minnesota small claims checker →

Maximum small claim · Minnesota
$20,000
Lawyers allowed
Maximum claim$20,000
Filing fee~$65–$80
Lawyers at hearingAllowed
Statute / court ruleMinn. Stat. §491A.01

The limit, the fee & who can appear in Minnesota

The claim ceiling, how the filing fee is set, and whether lawyers are allowed at the hearing.

Maximum claim$20,000
How the limit worksOne statewide limit
Filing fee~$65–$80
the base conciliation-court filing fee is $65, and some counties add a small law-library fee on top
Lawyers at the hearingAllowed
Statute / court ruleMinn. Stat. §491A.01, subd. 3a
Which court?

A lower $4,000 cap applies when the claim involves a consumer credit transaction (a purchase or purchase loan of personal property for personal, family, or household use). Everything else uses the $20,000 ceiling.

Recent or pending change

The general limit rose from $15,000 to $20,000 effective August 1, 2024. Older guides that still say $15,000 are out of date; the $20,000 figure is current.

Where to file in Minnesota

A reference page, not a filing walkthrough: here's the official resource for procedure.

Filing in Minnesota?

This page is a reference for the dollar limit, fee, and whether a lawyer is allowed, not a step-by-step filing guide. For the forms, where to file, and how service works, use Minnesota's official court self-help resource.

→ Minnesota Judicial Branch (conciliation court)

What Minnesota filers get wrong

Minnesota calls its small claims court "conciliation court," and the ceiling is $20,000 for most claims under Minn. Stat. §491A.01. We confirmed both the general cap and the exception verbatim on the official Revisor of Statutes site: the statute reads that conciliation court hears claims where the amount does not exceed "$20,000" or "$4,000, if the claim involves a consumer credit transaction." That second number matters. If your dispute is over a purchase or a loan used to buy personal property for household use, the cap drops to $4,000, not $20,000. The general limit went up from $15,000 on August 1, 2024, so any source still printing $15,000 is stale. Lawyers are allowed but not required, and the filing fee starts at $65, with a few counties adding a small law-library surcharge.

Common questions

What is the small claims limit in Minnesota?

Minnesota conciliation court hears claims up to $20,000 under Minn. Stat. §491A.01. A lower $4,000 cap applies to consumer credit transactions. The $20,000 figure took effect August 1, 2024, up from $15,000.

What is the $4,000 consumer credit limit in Minnesota conciliation court?

If your claim involves a consumer credit transaction, meaning a purchase or a loan used to buy personal property for personal, family, or household use, the cap is $4,000 instead of $20,000. This is written directly into the statute.

How much does it cost to file in conciliation court in Minnesota?

The base filing fee is $65. Some counties add a small law-library fee, so the total is usually between $65 and $80. If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask the court to waive it by filing a fee-waiver affidavit.

Can I have a lawyer in Minnesota conciliation court?

Yes. Lawyers are allowed on either side, though most people handle conciliation court themselves because it is designed to be informal. A case can be removed to district court after judgment, where having a lawyer becomes more common.

Primary source
→ Minn. Stat. §491A.01, subd. 3a
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · revisor.mn.gov
Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

Embed this explainer

Paste this on your own site. The embed stays in sync with this page, so any update here shows up there too.

<iframe
  src="https://plainstatute.com/embed/statute/small-claims--minnesota"
  title="Minnesota statute explainer by PlainStatute"
  loading="lazy"
  height="640"
  style="width:100%;max-width:640px;border:1px solid #e4e2d9;border-radius:12px"
  data-plainstatute="small-claims--minnesota"></iframe>
<script>
  window.addEventListener('message', function (e) {
    if (e.origin !== 'https://plainstatute.com') return;
    var d = e.data || {};
    if (d.type !== 'plainstatute:embed-height') return;
    var f = document.querySelector('iframe[data-plainstatute="' + d.slug + '"]');
    if (f) f.height = d.height;
  });
</script>

More Minnesota law

Other everyday-law questions we answer for Minnesota, each from the state's own statute and cited to the source.

Small-claims limits · other states
Wisconsin·Iowa·South Dakota·North Dakota·California·Texas·All states →